Canon Digital IXUS Review (Powershot S100 Digital Elph / Ixy Digital)

Open your wallet, take out a credit card.. No, I'm not
going to ask you to order one just yet, that credit card is the same size
as the front of the Digital IXUS. Small? You bet. This is truly the smallest
digicam I've ever reviewed and weighs in as the smallest 2.1mp digital
camera on the market.

But is small good? Well, it's eminently pocketable yet
with a steel case, flat front and automatic lens cover you'll not worry
too much about how you handle it. What does this mean? It means you're
more likely to take the camera out with you and get "that shot".

One slight confusion has been the naming convention,
put simply this camera is called the PowerShot S100 Digital Elph in the
USA & Canada, the Digital IXUS in Europe / SE Asia and Ixy Digital
in Japan. For simplicity in this review I'll refer to it as the Digital
IXUS (as I'm based in the UK).

The Pocket-Powershot Family

A5
0.8 megapixels
Fixed lens

A5 Zoom
0.8 megapixels
28 - 70mm lens

A50
1.2 megapixels
28 - 70mm lens

S10
1.92 megapixels
35 - 70mm lens

S20
3.14 megapixels
35 - 70 mm lens

Dig IXUS / S100
1.92 megapixels
35 - 70mm lens

Canon have used an almost identically designed and sized
case since the A5 , A5 zoom, A50, S10 and S20 (all pictured above). The
break with that design has now come with the Digital IXUS as Canon begin
to merge the distinction between traditional photography products and
digital products.

Canon IXUS II, APS camera

Canon Digital IXUS, Digital camera

Here you can see from where the Digital IXUS gets its
design points, with the same stainless steel exterior, very similar design
points and some "borrowed items" (spot the zoom control and
flash unit). Canon are making a strong statement with this camera, and
it's all about where it sees the digital market in a few years time, see
this as one of the first steps. This, and the EOS-D30.

If you're new to digital photography you may wish to read the Digital Photography Glossary before diving into this article (it may help you understand some of the terms used).

Conclusion / Recommendation / Ratings are based on the opinion of the reviewer, you should read the ENTIRE review before coming to your own conclusions.

We recommend to make the most of this review you should be able to see the difference (at least) between X, Y, and Z and ideally A, B, and C.

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